When Nightmares Awake
by Tjin
Summary: Xander's having trouble sleeping.
1. When Nightmares Awake 1

Xander Dreamed  
  
Xander watched as he sat under the stars with willow  
  
It was him, down to the stupid Hawaiian print shirt and lop sided grin he used to wear as he named the stars what he wanted instead of what some long dead Stargazer thought they should be.  
  
"And what are you going to call mars?" Xander watched as willow asked the other him.  
  
"Ooh that's Bob" Both Xander's said at the same time "Bob is Kinda odd" The other Xander said as they looked at the planet "Bob goes away for a while... but he always shows back up where you least expect him to" the younger Xander said as they stared back at the sky.  
  
"Okay what's that one" Willow asked as she pointed out the North Star  
  
Xander smiled as he remembered he had never named that one to her That ones a bit to personal wills Xander thought as he watched his younger self shrug it off  
  
"That ones always named by everyone, I just never gave it a name" he lied as Willow just smiled  
  
"Ooh... okay" she said quietly  
  
Xander watched as his younger self looked over his shoulder at him and smiled What the hell? he thought as his younger self turned back to willow  
  
"Actually wills I did name that one" he said with a smile at his childhood friend. "That's ones named Willow, because it's the brightest star in my sky"  
  
Xander knew it was corny as hell but he had been fourteen then and he really had named the star willow. What the hell is going on? I never told her that Xander thought as willow blushed a bright red and started to babble about The light-years from earth to there and the effect of faster then light travel when is younger self set a finger on her lips  
  
"Wills, Your babbling again" he said as willow stared at her dress and picked idle at it "Willow you've always been the light in my darkness" he said as he slowly trailed his and down her neck.  
  
At the last second Xander realized something was wrong, he never expected to watch himself snap her neck violently before his younger self's face warped itself into the twisted image of his Vampiric self. .  
  
(A/N Kinda Dark i know, Blame it on lack of sleep and no Caffeine in two days.)


	2. When Nightmares Awake 2

Xander bolted upright in his bed, drenched in sweat. "god I hate that dream" he muttered to himself as he got up, Stumbling into the kitchen he turned on the coffee pot before he headed for the phone. Picking it up he hesitated for several minutes before punching in a number.  
  
Willow Rosenberg Set down the spell book and looked at the ringing phone before she carefully picked it up "H-hello..."  
  
"Wills are... are you okay?" Xander asked carefully as he listened to his best friends breathing for several seconds "Wills?" he asked again before she responded.  
  
"I told you to never call this number again Xander" she said quietly as she tried to keep her emotions in check.  
  
"I know wills... I'm sorry it's just... I really needed to hear your voice" Xander said as he tried to choke back tears. The 'Click' followed by I dial tone told him enough. "I'm sorry willow" he whispered to the phone before he returned it to its cradle.  
  
Staring into the dark for several seconds he finally decided to get on with his day  
  
Walking into the bathroom he turned the hot water on in the shower and stepped in, fifteen minutes later he stepped out; wrapping a towel around him he carefully wiped the condensation from the mirror.  
  
The sight of an empty bathroom was in contrast to the reality. damn them... damn them all he thought bitterly as he reached up and gingerly touched the scars on his neck where Angelus had has bitten him so many years before.  
  
"Twenty years Alexander... how long are you going to fight for them in the shadows?" the soft came from behind him as he stared at the absent reflection.  
  
"As long as I need to Tara... there my friends" he said silently  
  
"You know I don't blame you for killing me Xander... it was the demon" she said as Xander continued to stare.  
  
"Yeah, but it was my body... and I watched as he turned you" he said as he finally turned around "Sometimes I have these dream... dreams where I didn't get turned, dreams where I didn't..." he cut off as he replayed the course of event again.  
  
From his being turned by Angelus on the road trip. His silent return to Sunnydale, his kidnapping of Willows girlfriend, The things he had done to her before finally the look in her eyes as he killed her.  
  
"God Tara how can you stand to be around me" he finally got out as she watched him for several minutes.  
  
"Because your not that monster, and because you risked everything to save me from being that monster myself... now get dressed and come get some coffee, it's almost dusk and Willy said he had some information about a new Master that wants to kill the slayer" she said as she turned back to the kitchen to start there day.  
  
With an unneeded sigh Xander watched her go. I swear that even if it takes me a thousand years... I will make it up to them he vowed before following his wife's instructions and going to start his night.


	3. When Nightmares Awake 3

Xander grinned as the noise died as he walked into the bar with his wife and casually walked over to the owner and local information broker.

The Bald bartender smiled as the two vampires sat down at the bar and waited patiently for him to finish serving the other customers before motioning him over.

Smiling at the two as he walked over Willy reminded himself why he liked dealing with these two instead of the slayer.

Leaning over the bar with a smile Willy set down the simplest rule. "This bits worth ten grand." He said as the two Vampires stared at him for a moment before responding.

"You'll get what it's worth Willy." Xander said as he watched the grin spread across the bartenders face.

"That's what I'm saying, your old friend William the Bloody himself is back in town." He said with a chuckle. "And remember the bounty you put on his head a few years back." Willy reminded the two Vampires as he watched the emotions die on there faces as the memories came back.

Leaning forward Xander got in the bartenders face as he glared into his eyes as he looked for any deception. "Tell me where he is." He growled as Willy took a careful step back.

Laying her hand on Xander's arm Tara calmed him before turning to the information broker. "The bounty stands Willy." She assured the bartender as she pulled two stacks of fifty hundred dollar bills from her pocket and set them on the bar.

Picking up one and flipping through it quickly Willy was reminded again of why he preferred to work with the two Vampires. "He came in here last night looking for anyone who wanted to help him kill the slayer." Willy told them as he started to count the hundreds in front of them before continuing. "Only one was suicidal enough to join him, heard Spike tell him he was taking over his sire's old place." Willy said as he looked up at the two empty seats.

Pushing the money into the drop safe under the bar Willy turned back to his costumers with a smile.

--

Tara followed Xander as she knew he would do something rash if he went after Spike immediately.

Walking up behind him Tara pulled the keys out of his hands and stepped back as he turned with a snarl.

"Give them back Tara."

Staring into the gold eyes Tara counted to five before responding. "Is this revenge?" She whispered so lightly even Xander's vampiric hearing had trouble catching it.

Realizing the statement Xander let the anger flow out as he dropped his vampiric face in favor of his human one before responding. "Yes." He said slowly as Tara nodded.

"And what is revenge?"

Sighing Xander looked ashamed before responding. "Revenge is an emotional action."

Nodding again Tara let a moment drift by before continuing. "And why is an emotional action a bad thing?"

"Emotional actions blind you to the actions and intents of your enemy." Tara said as she held the keys out to Xander. "Don't allow them to blind you Alexander."

Accepting the keys Xander waited a moment before allowing a feral smile to cross his face. "I won't, after fifteen years spike will finally pay for what he did." Xander swore to her before getting into the drivers side and starting the car. _After fifteen years Joyce will rest in peace._ Xander swore to himself as he turned the car towards the mansion.


	4. When Nightmares Awake 4

Alexander crept around the large mansion slowly pouring a mixture of silver and sea salt on the ground behind him.

As he reached the place he started from he made sure he connected it so as to make an unbroken circle around the mansion.

Walking up to the double doors he considered his plan again as he placed a string of small beads around the frame of the door before standing back a step and thinking of a witty comment for when this became a movie.

"This isn't vengeance… it's punish… dammit that's taken." He growled as he pushed the button and watched as the huge double doors blew into the house.

This being the agreed signal he barely turned as the circle of salt around the house burst into flames.

Sometimes, it was really useful to be married to a witch. Xander thought as he stepped through the recently vacated doorway with a grin as the Vampires looked up from their position on the floor. "Catch you fuckers at a bad time?" he growled before sighing, "Damn it that one is taken to." He complained before looking at the confused vamps.

"How about this one, DIE MOTHERFU" the rest of his comment was drowned out as he brought the Modified FN SCAR up and squeezed the trigger in their general direction.

--

Outside Tara listened to the gunfire as she concentrated on the fire spell. Momentarily she felt sorry for the vampires inside before brushing the thought off.

They signed there death warrant the moment they decided to run with William the Bloody.

--

Xander had originally tried using wood rounds but quickly found they splintered when fired becoming extremely inaccurate and ineffective. Thermite rounds were used when fire was not a problem. This led to his current rounds, a normal bullet with etched Silver runes covering the led slug.

The world seemed to slow then as Xander watched the heavy 7.62 rounds slammed into the half dozen vampires, thirty of them. A moment later Xander stared in confusion as all but one dusted.

Changing out the magazine as he walked up, Xander stared at the bleeding figure as he struggled for breath. "You didn't dust?" he said as the guy started to chuckle.

"That's right you FUCK, you just killed a human." the guy shouted as he pulled a set of false teeth from his mouth and grinned. "And now everyones going to know it." he said as he looked past Xander and up the stairs.

Xander turned as a female Vampire smiled as she looked through the camera at them. Thinking about it a moment Xander nodded before jerking the rifle up and holding the trigger down.

The last sight Alice had was of a 7.62 round ripping through the back of the camcorder before she dusted.

Looking back at the human Xander shrugged "I saw that movie too." he said before passing the downed mortal and continuing towards the main room.

It took him less then five minutes to clear the way through the large mansion and find his targets. "Spike" Xander growled as the platinum haired Vampire sneered at him.

"So whelp, you really think your toys make you man enough to take on the big bad." Spike said as he tried to keep as much between himself and the former Zeppo as possible.

Smirking to the older Vampire, Xander started to circle the room in an attempt at getting a better shot. "Well come on out here and let's see nephew Spikey." Xander quipped.

"Don't call me that BOY" the platinum blonde Vampire spit as he dodged behind an overturned metal table. "You're nothing more than a mistake that poofter of a grand-sire made years ago."

"Really, I would have said the same about you, but I hear you made a mistake yourself." Xander said as he loosed a short burst to keep the vampire's head down. "What is it with you and insane vampires Spike?" Xander taunted as he slipped around the desk and pulled the rifle up as Spike jumped behind a pillar. "Did Dru ever get over my gift to her Spike, or did you leave her alone like she said you would?" Xander asked as he resisted the growl he wanted to indulge in at the fact the vampire continued to evade him.

"Don't you ever talk about my Dru _WHELP!_" Spike growled as he moved to keep the sliver of protection the pillar offered between him and his assailant. "She never got over what you did to her."

"So you left her alone? Is that what you do?" Xander demanded as he finally maneuvered his target into a corner. "And what about your other mistake Spike? Where did you leave her?"

The blow to the side of his head staggered Xander as a steel vice clamped down on his gun and jerked it from his hands.

"My Spikey would never leave me, would you precious?" The insane vampire said with a smile as she looked at Spike before looking back down at Xander. "You've been saying bad things about my Spike." She said before nodding to herself. "I'm going to rip your tongue out for that."

Shaking his hand slightly to return feeling to it Xander smiled at the arrival of the new vampire. "Hi Joyce, I'd hoped you'd be here."


	5. When Nightmares Awake 5

Xander Stumbled as he left the mansion and growled in pain as his arm was jerked out of socket again.

With a tired sigh he focused on the flames as he slowly forced his way into a hypnotic trance before jerking his arm back into place.

--

Xander blinked as his vision slowly swam back into focus on the image of an angel. "I thought you where keeping the fire spell up." He rasped through his dry throat as he reminded himself that forcing his own shoulder back into socket was a bad idea.

"I felt you scream." Tara whispered as she slid a needle into his arm and slowly depressed the plunger.

Xander gritted his teeth against the pain as the synthetic blood jump started his vampiric healing.

As the wounds started to heal he nodded at the questioning look his wife was giving him. "She's at peace now," he said as Tara nodded in understanding.

"And Spike?" she asked as she steadied him as he forced his way to his feet.

"Burning in hell if I justice is served." Xander growled as he slowly headed for their car.

Helping him along Tara felt his strength return until he was walking under his own power by the time they returned to the vehicle. "Where are we going now?" she asked as Xander stowed the weapons before the two got in the car.

"Six of the vampires that were in there were from Damian's clan, we need to make sure he keeps a closer watch on his spawn." Xander said as he pulled the car onto the deserted streets and headed for the warehouse distract.

Nodding in understanding, Tara watched the last of Xander's wounds heal before looking out at the houses that swept by in a blur.

The job wasn't done yet, and it wouldn't be done for a long time to come.

Behind them the magical fires finally consumed the mansion and destroyed even the ash that was once William the Bloody.


End file.
